3.5 stars. I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley so I felt an obligation to continue reading even after being unimpressed with the first few chapters. Each chapter alternates between a total of 3 narrators: husband, wife, and mother/mother-in-law. I honestly found the trajectory of the plot a bit forced, bordering on amateur in the style of how "breadcrumbs" of the plot were scattered in a clear effort to try and engage the reader's interest to continue reading. However, then there was a moment about 1/2 of the way into the book where the plot leaped forward and I found myself skipping ahead a few chapters to catch a glimpse of how things would continue with that particular narrator (the wife character). I also usually avoid books with murder and violence, so I did not enjoy that specific (and prominent) aspect of the storyline. However, I also found myself staying up late to continue reading the last 1/4 of the book and found a vast improvement in regards to literary interest and storyline for the conclusion of the book (especially compared to the first 1/3 of the book). Due to the clunky start, and my own personal preference to not read books with murder/violence I lowered my rating to 3.5. However, due to the quality ending I erred on the side of a 4 star Goodreads rating (instead of 3 stars). I will probably not seek out other books by Rachel Hawkins after reading this book.

It occurs to me as I’ve finished The Heiress that you have certain expectations when you crack open a book. Does this book live up to its hype? Are there enough twists to surprise me? Will I relate to the characters? Is it a page turner or a slog to get through? The answers to these questions in my mind are as follows. The author has by now proved herself pretty reliable. Some twists left early clues. None of the characters echoed my own life in any way. And the pages never got bogged down making the read an exercise in endurance. In the end I would say that this makes The Heiress a fun read.

4.5 🌟

After reading this book about... well, murders I'm questioning my character because I absolutely loved it!

This book had me hooked from basically the first page. I loved the multiple POVs and hearing from the dead mom via letters she had written. The twists kept coming and kept me guessing for most of the book.

Thanks, Netgalley for thr ARC of this book!

A first for me by Rachel Hawkins and I can 💯 see the appeal of her books!

The Heiress was a fast paced… need to read one more chapter book that kept me on my toes!
It is delivered through three distinct POVs that is easy to follow along drawing the story to life and leaving you thinking you may know what is about to unfold but who,what,where and why!

Get ready for…
Dysfunctional family
An eerie estate
SECRETS! SECRETS! SECRETS!

I loved this book. The Heiress gave me everything I could ever want in a thriller, and I was pleasantly surprised by many of the twists! Definitely recommend this read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

First off, wow. I did not see that twisty turny ending coming. To be honest, the book was a little boring at first, but then we get the “so I’m the villain” turn and I was hooked!

I loved that no matter what the turn was and how shocking, it seemed that Cam always somehow knew. I give him props for not calling his wife out ever- couldn’t be me. This book was filled with complicated relationships, secrets, betrayal in all the darkest ways. Major kudos to Rachel Hawkins for always keeping us on our toes!

While not my favorite Rachel Hawkins book, I really enjoyed The Heiress. Ruby McTavish is kidnapped when she is young, but recovered and returned to her family. She grows up to inherit the family fortune, and when she dies she leaves everything to her adopted son, Camden. Camden wants little to do with the McTavish fortune and leaves North Carolina to create a new life for himself. When Camden is contacted by his cousin still living in the Ashby House of his mother, Camden and his wife Jules must return to make some necessary renovations to the family home.

This book is like a mystery in a mystery. First you need to find out what happened when Ruby was kidnapped, then you have find out why none of Ruby's husbands can seem to stay alive. This thriller really kept me guessing with multiple surprises along the way to keep things interesting. It was kind of mix of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo mixed with Knives Out. You had the romantic flings of Ruby with the greedy back stabbing family. I enjoyed the mix of plots. Would recommend for a thriller lover!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins in a twisty thriller about a messed-up rich family behaving badly. Camden and his wife Jules return to his family's estate in NC to settle some family business after a death. Cam is adopted and the rest of his wealthy family has never seen him as anything but an interloper after the family money. But there is more to the family history that is slowly revealed to the reader through alternating POV, letters, and newspaper clippings. I did guess a few of the twist reveals which was satisfying but also a bit disappointing. I like being surprised. This was a fun a quick read.

4.5 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Another dark & twisty novel from Rachel Hawkins. She truly is the master of delving into the shadows of the human psyche. I could not put this one down!

The Heiress refers to Ruby McTavish, sole heir to the McTavish fortune and Ashby House. Tavistock, NC is referenced as a Gilmore Girls dream. Sounds like the perfect little town, until you realize that Tavistock is essentially a fiefdom for the McTavishes.

Camden McTavish is Ruby’s adoptive son. When Ruby realized that she had no heirs, even after four failed marriages, she found the child she wanted. Raised him in the hopes that he would be better than the bloodline McTavishes who were ruthless and greedy. She did good with Camden, until she didn’t. Camden ran away to California to try to make it on his own.

In California, Camden meets Jules and they fall in love and move to Colorado. Camden has put the entire McTavish history behind him, or so he thinks. Then one day his cousin Ben reaches out saying they need him back at Ashby House, since he holds all the strings to the house and money.

Camden resists going, but Jules convinces him to try again. Jules, expecting that they can turn around the remaining family, or at least oust them from the kingdom. Little does she know just how dark and sinister these people can be.

Great novel again from Rachel Hawkins. I get so engrossed in her storytelling. The vivid descriptions and the deep characters. This was another really good one.

THE HEIRESS
Rachel Hawkins

THE HEIRESS is Rachel Hawkins's latest thriller. It hits stores nationally on January 9, 2024.

THE HEIRESS is about the life, loves, and losses of lumber heiress, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. We also follow Camden and Jules. Camden is Ruby’s son and the reluctant beneficiary of Rubys' estate. Jules- his loving wife.

We learn the story of how THE HEIRESS inherited her wealth, what happened to all her husbands, and what led to her ultimate demise. We follow as Camden and Jules return home to settle the elaborate estate, only to be met with more than welcome arms.

It is a BIG story.

THE HEIRESS and I got off to a rocky start. It took me a few sittings before I could get into the book and into the story. It felt like a lot of effort for what ultimately was the novel.

This is the fourth book I’ve read by Hawkins and my ratings and level of enjoyment have been all over the map. But I am a fan. I appreciate her focus on women’s lives and how varied they can be. As different as Hawkins’ books have been I’m rarely surprised by the direction her novels take and I was a little bored with this one.

I gave THE HEIRESS three stars and being a completionist I am glad I read it. I hope for more out of the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

THE HEIRESS…⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bravo, Rachel Hawkins! Bravo!

This is, quite literally, a killer book! It has a devious plot, and it was brilliantly crafted.

Not every story needs to have an abundance of good people doing altruistic and kind things. This one certainly doesn't! Almost all of these characters are rotten to the core and pretty much unlikable. Everyone is either a murderer or a victim, and sometimes both. Nevertheless, I couldn't put it down.

This book was twisty and deceitful, and utterly delightful in its portrayal of mean, conniving people doing dastardly things. You have to pay close attention though to the details of what is happening. It totally caught me off guard and I loved it!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this marvelous book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Heiress was a fast paced book about money greed and lots of secrets. There were a lot of twists and turns and a surprise ending. I enjoyed the book, although there was a little too much swearing for me, and I didn’t think it added anything to the book. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Mctavish family has ruled the town of Tavistock, North Carolina for as long as anyone can remember and sole heir to Ashby house and the family fortune, Ruby Mctavish is notorious, not only for being the victim of a famous kidnapping as a child but also for being the widow of her four husbands. When Ruby dies and leaves everything to her adopted son, Camden, he leaves the drama, the fortune and the house behind him. It’s been 10 years and he’s returned with his wife Jules to deal with some business after his Uncle’s death. The longer they are in Tavistock, the more secrets are revealed and truths are brought to light. It turns out, Ruby’s plans for her family and her son stretch far beyond the grave.

This book was an absolute TREAT. As a NC resident, I absolutely loved the setting and the references to western NC. The story is told from multiple POV’s, including Ruby’s and you get a little more of the mystery unraveled with each chapter. I genuinely was not expecting the twist at the end OR what ultimately happens but it was sooooo good. What a perfectly constructed mystery that explores just how deep the corruption of family can go when money is involved.

Thank you to netgalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! All opinions and thoughts in my review are honest and are my own.

I have to say that Rachel Hawkins is quickly becoming one of my auto-authors. The Heiress takes us to North Carolina where the McTavish family has a sprawling estate. Camden, the heir to everything, wants nothing to do with his family money or name, but his wife of 10 years, Jules has other ideas. There are quite a few repairs that need to be done after his adoptive mother, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, the infamous black widow, dies. There are so many secrets in just one family, but the question is, can we uncover the truth?

Rachel Hawkins did a phenomenal job of creating a addictive and enticing read. The secrets within Ashby House, the McTavish estate, are heartless and intriguing. We have multiple POVs, Camden, Jules and even a connection to the deceased herself, Ruby McTavish. Who was Ruby really? Is everything as it seems or did daddy's money take care of the skeletons in the closet? Oh and the easter egg from The Villa - I literally cannot, it was perfect. Rated up for 4.5 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Rachel Hawkins for the eARC of The Heiress in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is 09 January 2024.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

I have read several of this author's books and enjoyed them all, but this was by far my favorite! This fast paced thriller had it all for me. Lots of rich people behaving badly, some very unreliable narrators, so many secrets and lies. I loved watching it all play out and was definitely thrown for a loop a few times. This story delves deep into just how much wealth and privilege can really bring out the worst in people, some of them stopping at nothing to get what they want or keep what they have. Ruby was a very complex character, at times you really like her and feel bad for her, other times you think she's a complete lunatic. The rest of the family was really something else too. You never quite knew who to believe or trust. The author brings it all together in the end as well. Highly recommend you pre-order this one. Publication date Jan, 9, 2024.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Messy Mash-Up of Unoriginal Plot Lines

The three other Rachel Hawkins novels that I read were gripping and captivating. This was not.

The Heiress is told in three varying perspectives: 1) husband Camden, 2) wife Jules, 3) a collection of letters by Camden’s adopted mother, Ruby.

This seemed to be a mash-up for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. What is the basis for this conclusion?

So glad you asked.

Ruby has four dead husbands in her wake. Like in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Ruby reveals what happened to each one.

In Home Before Dark, the main character, Maggie, returns to this creepy haunted house and reads excepts from her father’s book. In the case of The Heiress, this technique didn’t work because there were too many narrative voices. Personally, I would have cut Jules’s section.

In addition, The Heiress has some plot holes. I still want to know more about Cecilia, the housekeeper, and what happened to all of the missing hikers. And what was the purpose of Libby and Cam’s confrontation about the gate? At the very end, the author tried to pull off a little twist, but it didn’t really pack a punch. The ending needed to be much stronger—in a month, I will completely forget what happened.

A decent read but not Hawkins’s best work.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

How much I spent:
Electronic text – Free through NetGalley

This book had me guessing the whole time! Just when I thought I had something figured out, there would be new clues or information that would totally change my mind. I really enjoyed how well the author developed the characters and more specifically the family dynamic. It felt very real. Definitely recommend to any Rachel Hawkins fans!

Camden is the adopted son of Ruby McTavish, one of the wealthiest women in North Carolina. She was also quite well known as the victim of a kidnapping when she was a child and as a widow 4 times over, with husbands dying under mysterious circumstances. Upon her death, Camden inherited the family home and fortune. For his own reasons, he estranged himself from Ruby years ago, as well as his inheritance and lives a modest existence as a teacher, married to Jules and living in Colorado.

When Camden receives a letter from a family member urging him to return to the family estate, Ashby House, which he owns and to put financial concerns in order, Jules encourages him to make the trip with her. She has researched the home and, unbeknownst to Camden, dreams of living there adjacent to the Blue Ridge mountains. Upon their reaching Ashby House, it is soon apparent why Camden wanted to sever ties with his toxic family.

The story unfolds via two POVs, Camden’s and Jules’, as well as news clippings and a series of letters from Ruby to an undisclosed recipient that recount her life story. Like every family and every good thriller, there are lots of secrets here. This Southern Gothic novel has it all…you name it, it is here. Fast paced, I read it in one sitting as I did not want to put it down.

I had some trouble getting into this but once I did I enjoyed it. Good twists. The characters weren’t very likeable. Something about it just missed for me. Might have been my mood because I like the premise of the book and have liked all of the authors previous books that I have read.

The first thing that drew me in was the stunning cover! It gave me old money and Hollywood vibes. LOVE! I then saw the author and read the summary, and just knew it was going to be a great book! I love the way Rachel Hawkins writes. PERIOD. She is able to draw you in immediately and keeps things moving at a steady pace, so you don’t lose attention in all of the details. The book does bounce around from different points of view, and also time periods, but again, it is done in a way that is clear, and the chapters/letters are short enough that it doesn’t get confusing. I found the letters to be such an interesting twist and the frankness of the entries was absolute perfection. I loved the bluntness of FMC - who definitely doesn’t mince words when it comes to her wrong doings….it really kept me wondering how it was all going to play out in the end.

There are characters that will make your eyes roll, characters that you will love, and some that you will love to hate. The author really painted a lovely image of the estate, where much of the present day takes place, which really set the tone for the whole book.

I absolutely recommend this book to those wanting a fast paced, mystery with a sprinkle of old money and glamor. I would like to thank Rachel Hawkins, the publisher (St. Martin’s Press) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. Well done!